


if you strike that match you're bound to feel the flame

by majorshipper



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Drama, Episode Tag, Episode: s06e17 My Heart Will Go On, Gen, Missing Scene, One Shot, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-14
Updated: 2011-05-14
Packaged: 2017-10-19 09:55:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/199587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/majorshipper/pseuds/majorshipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>The next time they see him it’s been three weeks and they’re somewhere in Texas.</i> Sam has a question for Castiel regarding Dean. Tag to 6x17, no spoilers beyond that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	if you strike that match you're bound to feel the flame

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Daughtry's "Learn My Lesson".

The next time they see him it’s been three weeks and they’re somewhere in Texas. They finish the case and for once Cas doesn’t disappear in an instant. Dean swaggers up to the bar and he flirts with the girl in the short skirt and cowboy boots while his angel frowns and shifts uncomfortably in the booth, carefully looking out the window. It’s a bit like the old times; Sam wonders when last year became “old times”, and then he decides that now’s as good a time as any.

“Why’d you lie to Dean?”

The angel turns to him, that familiar puzzled expression Sam’s seen a million times forming as he opens his mouth to ask what he’s talking about.

“You lied; when you said Balthazar unsunk the Titanic because of the _movie_ ,” Sam clarifies, and various emotions quietly flicker across the angel’s face; surprise, anger, even perhaps a bit of chastisement.

“I did not…lie to Dean,” he states slowly, and schools his features to something impassive. The girl in the boots laughs and shakes her head; Sam watches her long blond hair swish across her shoulders as Cas flinches. Sam thinks he’s still too human when it comes to Dean (but he can’t judge; he doesn’t judge, he has no right).

“Yeah, and you didn’t raise him from hell either. You suck at lying, by the way,” Sam says because it needs to be said.

The angel stares hard at him, and he is Castiel, the angel who fell and fell for freedom and a man named Dean after pulling him from hell, the angel who is currently fighting a civil war in _heaven_. Sam’s a little worried he might inadvertently smite him, but his face relaxes a bit and he tries to smile at Sam. It comes out as more of a half-grimace.

“I did not lie,” he repeats, and then adds “You are mistaken,” as though it will make the uncomfortable words coming from his mouth true.

Sam glances over at his brother on instinct, sees his back to them, and turns back to Cas. He gives the angel his best bitch face and isn’t all that surprised when it has no effect.

“Whatever. I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know why you sent him to unsink the ship. I don’t care.”

Cas sighs in what most would call relief, but Sam recognizes that he has more at stake than just the truth, so he continues.

“I do care about my brother.”

“I have noticed,” the angel replies, a bit of Dean’s dry snark creeping into his voice.

Sam ignores him. “He didn’t notice, I’m guessing because of the situation, or maybe because he just didn’t want to notice, but I did. I don’t care about your angelic politics or the things you have to do that you don’t talk about or why you’re with us right now instead of off somewhere doing your thing, but I do care about what you do to Dean.” Cas is staring at him intently, eyes boring into his soul. “Right now, he can list the number of people he trusts with his life on one hand. You’re on that list. But if you keep lying to him, he will notice. And you’ll be right back where you were the last time you betrayed him.”

“I will not betray Dean.” He’s looking at the man sitting on the bar stool. His voice is firm. Resolute. Like he can predict, control, shape the future to his will. Sam knows how well that’s worked out in the past. His gaze swivels back to Sam, and adds with a hint of sorrow in his voice, “I have a duty...and sometimes…that means I must…indicate things are what they are not.” He turns head back towards the window, apparently thinking that’s the end of the conversation.

Sam huffs out a breath. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you two, and I don’t really want to. But I’m serious, Castiel.” The angel turns back to him, and he thinks he might be a little hurt by his words. “If you do this, there won’t be a second chance for you.” He doesn’t add _like there was for me_ , but it hangs in the air over Sam’s forgotten fries anyways.

They’re still locked in a staring match when Dean slides into the booth next to Cas and the angel unconsciously scoots over for him. There’s still the tension in the air but Dean either doesn’t notice or ignores it (Sam has his suspicious as to which it actually is) as he reaches for a couple of Sam’s fries, and hands one to Cas who promptly eats it whole with a look of bemused affection.

Dean grins at Sam and says “Got her number.” He slides the napkin across the table with a smirk and Sam rolls his eyes fondly but doesn’t miss the way Cas’s small smile slips for a moment.

~

They walk out of the place half an hour later and Cas says, “I must go.” Sam isn’t stupid enough to miss the sadness in his voice, and not for the first time he feels incredibly sorry for the angel.

Dean frowns but nods. “Okay,” he says and opens his door, slides behind the wheel. Cas turns his attention to Sam, and it takes actual self-control for him to not blurt out apologies for what he said to him.

“I…care about you and your brother,” he says. Sam wonders how someone who seems so distant sometimes can give away so many emotions in his eyes and on his face. If he hadn’t known that Cas has been in a vessel for three years he’d think it was inexperience.

“I do not lie to you,” the angel adds with certain finality, starts to turn away from him, but Sam reaches out, loops his fingers around Jimmy’s scrawny arm and looks hard at him.

“You know he won’t take you back again.”

Cas stares at him. “Some things are more important that your brother’s acceptance.” He glances behind Sam at the Impala and Dean inside it; Sam swears he looks even more sorry than before.

Then he’s gone in a flutter of wings.

Behind him, Dean taps the horn and yells, “You coming?”

Sam nods absently, opens the passenger side door and slides in.

They head north, eating up pavement and Dean’s old cassettes.


End file.
